How To Make A Camera OBSCURA.

Today we were introduced to camera obscurers.Camera: latin for 'ROOM'Obscura: latin for 'DARK'A camera obscurer is a room which is completely dark which only has a small opening of light from a window cover, looking out into the world. And because sun light travels within a straight line, from that opening the view is projected onto the wall as an upside down image.
To make a obscurer you would need tape, 6mm thick black plastic sheeting, an a craving knife.You would need to cut out the black sheets to cover and fit all areas what reveals light and tape them down. Especially on a sunny day were you would need to COMPLETELY cover windows in order for it to work and turn off all lights and have closed doors.You would then cut a round hole in the plastic, not too big, quite small/medium.
HERE IS A VIDEO WE WERE INTRODUCED TO:MAKING YOUR OWN ROOM WITH A VIEW..


An artist we then began to look at was Abelardo MORELL, born in Havana, Cuba in 1948 but then lived in America as he was brought to the USA by his family in 1962. Morell is well-known in the photographic community creating camera obscure images.
"The thing that makes me want to take pictures now is just looking without many prejudices. This stuff right under your eyes is the most wonderful universe - if you care to look with young eyes." - Abelardo MORELL.
Morell's first camera obscure was made in 1991 called 'Light Bulb', where he had darkened his living room; covering up all windows with black plastic in order to achieve total darkness. He had then cut a small hole in the material which allows an inverted image of the view outside to flood onto the walls of the room. He would then focus his large-format camera on the image and expose the film. In the beginning his exposures took 5 - 10 hours.Over periods of time Morell began to expand and develop this technique by adding colour. He did that by using colour film and positioned a lens over the hole in the window plastic in order to add bright and sharpness within the incoming image. Eventually he was also able to shorten his time of exposures because of the good use of digital technology; which helps to capture more light.In addition, Morell had moved from his living room and began to expand to all sorts of interiors around the world; from not only seeing the beautiful view from the outside, but all inside too.

The reflection looked so real that you would think that the world has been sucked inside a building, In addition I think that the technique of camera obscures are absolutely unique as you can choose an view and a layout of an room inside a building and create a mind going piece of art, which can either be featured as black and white or in colour.